Title - Vintage machines find ‘pride of place’

Ferozepur : Three majestic machines, including a vintage rail locomotive, a narrow gauge coach and a British-era classic steam road roller, have been given “pride of place” on the Divisional Railway Manager’s office premises here.These machines, two of which were recently brought to the station, were unveiled during a recent ceremony by Divisional Railway Manager Naresh Chand Goyal.Goyal said the vintage machines had become a centre of attraction not only for the passersby but also for the entire railway staff.Weighing eight tonnes, the steam road roller was manufactured by Aveling and Porters Limited of Rochester. It was dispatched from England on February 28, 1908. It first arrived in Karachi. Though several steam road rollers of different specifications were imported from England then, only a few of them are available now.About the locomotive, Goyal said it was last run on the Kalka-Shimla rail section where it remained in service for over 40 years.The MAK-21 model, with a single turbo-6 cylinder engine, weighs over 36 tonnes. It was manufactured by Chitranjan Locomotive Works. The narrow gauge wooden coach with a carrying capacity of 29 passengers was also used on the Kalka-Shimla section. It was built in 1979 by the Jodhpur railway workshop. Officials had also placed another vintage locomotive in front of the main entrance of the railway station.